NT80

Hi Alex.  Good to hear from you.  Very sad to hear about your health issues.  How did you get lung cancer not being a smoker?  I hope it stays under control.

I retired as an FAA air traffic controller in 2014 then worked at DFW airport for 5 years in Airfield Operations doing runway and taxiway inspections.  I am now a part-time contract controller again at Mesquite airport and will probably retire for good in about 6 months. 

Cyndy just retired from teaching full time this past May.  She still tutors kids with dyslexia (reading) problems.  This past March was our 40th anniversary.   We live in McKinney now.  She had some minor surgery this morning so I am playing nurse today.

I have not been to a North Texas football game in Denton in about 4 years, just too busy, but I plan to go to the Bowl game.  I went to the CBI basketball championship game at the SuperPit a couple years ago.  I often read the GMG board to keep up to date but haven't posted until recently.  

Our son John lives in Plano and has our two grandsons.  Our daughter Catherine lives in Carrollton and is trying for their first child.  She graduated from UNT and met her husband there as well, much like Cyndy and I.  They were married 5 years ago.

I will text or give you a call when I get a chance.  Stay well!

Jeff Baltzley 972-989-4061

Hi Jeff: Thanks for getting back with me. Glad to hear that you and family are doing well. Tell Cindy I say hi.  

My oncologist and pulmonologist both told me that the way I got cancer was really strange and unique. Pre-Covid I was constantly coughing and I would go to the doctor get x-rayed and given steroids which made me feel better for a few days only to have the cough return.  In early May I finally saw a pulmonologist who told me to take a week off from work to see if I would improve. My oxygen intake measured by a finger pulse oximeter showed my breathing below safety levels.  I started having breathing problem that weekend and woke up on a Sunday telling my wife to take me to ER because I was really having a hard time breathing. Got to the hospital and was admitted , took a battery of tests, and told 5 days later that I had Lung Cancer.

I had always taken care of my body by bicycling 3 hours on weekend and eating the right foods. When I was discharged I was put on oxygen 24/7 and was at home most of time. I was told a month later after tons of MRI's and Pet scans that I had a tumor in my lung that and could not be operated because my oxygen use was to high and it risk my life. After 3-1/2 months of oxygen my oncologist found a miracle drug called Tagrasso that had me off oxygen in 3 days. Very expensive tho but Azenca Zenica agreed to cover the $3100 monthly cost.

Thank God I am back to normal, I will be retiring from my Sales Job with TIFCO Industries at the end of this month. I am doing UPS seasonal delivery till the end of the year as a contractor. Work is demanding but I am doing fine.
Nancy put her resignation from her Special Ed job at the end of January. Once again I thank God that my investments has paid off now that I will probably start SS in January. The boys are on there own so the expense is not there with my youngest finishing his biology degree in May.

I have a fellow NT grad here in town Denny Kalk who invites me over to his home to watch NT football and basketball. This is my email address. alextijerina9@gmail.com